Just call me chop chop....

[Scrumpot 1]

What are you doing with your packing method, and what is your main? I am just a bit curious about this aspect and what caused your mal, and the main to exit the bag" spinning" in the 1st place.

Did you do a true "hop-n-pop" (clear and pull with minimal delay) which had you sub-terminal on deployment, or did you take a 6 or more second delay before deployment?

Type of canopy and packing method in combination with answers to the above would also be helpful I think, in perhaps helping you avoid the malfunction situation itself too maybe, in the 1st place.

At least you don't have to worry IF you will ever react right, and perform your EP's in a stressful situation!

Good on you for your clarity of thought and decision-making capabilities and EXPERIENCE (abilities to "perform" exhibited) in these situations! I'm sure this gives you a lot of confidence. Now let's see if there's perhaps even anything more that can be learned too, to help you maybe even AVOID the situations from occuring that put you into them - so you won't be determined to otherwise just repeat them, whatever they may be.

So if you don't mind, answering the questions above as well?

Thanks!
and... BLUE SKIES!
-Grant

coitus non circum - Moab Stone

[mamajumps 0]

I took a 3 sec delay (1 1000, 2 1000, 3 1000) and I pulled, I didnt pack it this time, the girl who is at the head of the packing concession at Sebastian did, I truly believe she did everything right tho. A friend told me that maybe that as my main came out of my rig, that it caught some prop blast which caused it to spin... I dunno how possible that is. Also, right before this jump I had ran out to the landing area, rig and all to help assist an injured jumper who had a hard landing (Im an EMT) on the way back, a jumper in the van told me that my left brake toggle was exposed and he tucked it back in for me. I could try to analyze it all day and never know for sure. My boyfriend was on the jump with me and saw how it came out of my rig. It said my body position was perfect, so that is about the only thing I can rule out right now... My main is Triathalon 150, with 307 jumps on it. 7 from me, 300 from original owner. I did come away from this with a super confidence boost, however, I dont care to repeat it anytime soon. I dont like landing under my one and only available canopy, kinda wigs me out a bit....As to how it was packed, I haven't spent a great deal of time in the packing area in Sebastian, but from what I've seen everything is pro packed, only done differently on request and I didnt request... I hope I answered all of your questions... thanks for your interest and willingness to help me disect this so I can learn more from it!

[Scrumpot 1]

If you counted 3 seconds as you have described it, you were well out of any prop-blast easily for certain, so that is not it.

At a true 3 seconds or quicker, you were not up to full terminal either - which is a part of what I was wondering. As such, your canopy's opening characteristics will probably be much more suseptable and sensitive to packing method & body position. Where you are pretty adamant about ruling out body position, I am wondering whether you know (or cna find out) if your packer then (where it was not packed by you) rolled the nose? Full roll? Split roll? etc.

When I have had either students or low-timers planning their own pack jobs combined with (true) hop-n-pops, I usually make sure they are aware that their opennings may seem to take longer, AND be subject to turning off heading during a slowed deployment, based on their anticipation/exaggerated weight shift. Just me, but I also advise them to NOT roll the nose (or even "stuff"), if this is something they otherwise normally do. Because again, at a less than terminal opening, and/or one where the relative wind may be other than vertical (true clear-n-pull), unless they are really accustomed to "flying out" their openings (which at only 74 jumps, you probably are not) - packing (rolling the nose unevenly especially) and even body position and weight in the harness distribution that your observing boyfriend could not see MAY have contributed to the nature of this deployment.

Maybe others out there with greater actual canopy characteristics (and deployment physics) knowledge can expand (or debunk) upon that. But this is what I was thinking anyway.

Hope it's made some sense, and is of some further help.

Blues,
-Grant

coitus non circum - Moab Stone

[Jumpah 0]

Quote

This was my 3rd cutaway in 77 jumps, however the first two were on the same rental rig 3 years ago. This was my cutaway on my own gear. I can't wait to finish my canopy course next month!!!!

This is a pretty high average for 77 jumps. What were the causes for your other cutaways?

Good job saving yer butt!!

[mamajumps 0]

Quote

Quote

This was my 3rd cutaway in 77 jumps, however the first two were on the same rental rig 3 years ago. This was my cutaway on my own gear. I can't wait to finish my canopy course next month!!!!

This is a pretty high average for 77 jumps. What were the causes for your other cutaways?

Good job saving yer butt!!

The first one was full line twists, that I could not get out and the 2nd was a tension knot in my left brake line. I did not have the experience to land on my rear risers so I got rid of it. I think a lot of it for the first two was panicing b/c of low jump numbers. This last one was a "no fixer" tho... Im just glad I got my main and free bag back

[Jumpah 0]

Thanks for the reply...good job(s)

[SPAWNmaster 0]

agreed...good job. i expect and hope to be level headed like you and react the same to save myself when a situation comes up for me.

[peggs82 0]

One experience with a Tempo. Post Wing Suit sub terminal reserve deployment due to spinning line twists. Very hard opening (much harder than my PD-R opened...I'm not a brand snob...just sharing my experience). Flew straight, had good flair. This was my personal experience. Your Results May Vary!
I have heard of these problems with the Tempo, and it sounds like it was an issue for sure. Seeing, however, that Tempos are no longer manufacturered, I don't know how much support you will actually get?

I wonder if anyone has ever collected data on these complaints? Any riggers who have modified control lines, did they note the DOM or Serial Numbers? I like the theory that it was a bad batch, since there are many nice Tempos out there as well...

Like it was said though...your canopy was NOT in full flight. To all who find taking a wrap necessary...Be very very careful in taking your wraps, and practice flair as high as is possible. Stalling your canopy close to the ground is not good for you

[packerboy 3]

I didnt pack it this time, the girl who is at the head of the packing concession at Sebastian did, I truly believe she did everything right tho.

a jumper in the van told me that my left brake toggle was exposed

----------------------------------------------------------

Those two don't add up to four using my kinda math. But.. meh, that's what you get. Learn to pack for yourself.


Not knowing that you already had two reserve rides and seeing the picture, I would think that maybe you took the wraps because you were concerned by the different flight characteristics of your main and reserve and were nervous about landing your reserve from full flight.

A 7 cell F-111 canopy flies alot different from a 9 cell ZP canopy. So much different that you may feel you need to take wraps to get any performance out of it. If I were you, I would do a couple demo jumps on whatever reserve you plan on buying before you are surprised by its flight characteristics in an emergency situation. Judging by the tail deflection and your arm position in the picture and your description of the canopy being in "full flight", you probably didn't need the wraps to be flying the canopy the way it was designed, but more so to get the "feel" of the flare the way you wanted.

--------------------------------------------------
In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. ~ Thomas Jefferson

[mamajumps 0]

To the last two people who responded:
thanks for the input, I am always lookig for positive input to take in that could ultimately make me a safer jumper. I intiated the wraps because without any wraps, I was in full right brakes just to make it fly straight. I understand that a myriad of things could have caused this, from as minor to harness position (from the hard opening causing things to shift) to it being out of trim and so and so on. Sally in Zhills is going to inspect it throughly before she repacks it. I totally trust her as a rigger. IMHO, she is one of the best. As far as me packing goes, I can pack, but Im very unsure of myself and put my lack of confidence around others on a packing mat and it takes me about 45 min to pack. Didnt have time for that since I was taking a canopy course. I say that the girl who packed it didnt make the mistake, b/c she is the only one who packs for my boyfriend and anyone there will tell you she is a solid packer. My brake handle being exposed, I totally believe is due to me running way way out in the landing area to help the jumper who had just had a very hard landing. It was a true emergency and I was all over the place trying to help him. Thanks again for your feedback, I will always accept anything in effort to try and understand what happened.

[moto89 0]

I don't understand, if the canopy took right toggle input to fly straight why did you take wraps on both brake lines? Wouldn't you logically wrap just the right? By taking a wrap on the left toggle you basically forced yourself to add another wrap to the right to make it fly straight.

Less talking, more flying.

[mamajumps 0]

Quote

I don't understand, if the canopy took right toggle input to fly straight why did you take wraps on both brake lines? Wouldn't you logically wrap just the right? By taking a wrap on the left toggle you basically forced yourself to add another wrap to the right to make it fly straight.

I took wraps on both sides, because after the intial wrap on the right, I still had no flare when I tried to flare it up high.

[jsaxton 0]

Quote

Quote

I don't understand, if the canopy took right toggle input to fly straight why did you take wraps on both brake lines? Wouldn't you logically wrap just the right? By taking a wrap on the left toggle you basically forced yourself to add another wrap to the right to make it fly straight.

I took wraps on both sides, because after the intial wrap on the right, I still had no flare when I tried to flare it up high.

If it doesn't fly straight fix it or burn it.

[Lastchance 0]

The guy I bought my rig from had 4 cutaways in under 40 jumps. He quit skydiving. I have 150+ jumps on the rig and no cutaways. Knock on wood. Hope I didn't just jynx myself.

I may be getting old but I got to see all the cool bands.

[mamajumps 0]

Quote

The guy I bought my rig from had 4 cutaways in under 40 jumps. He quit skydiving. I have 150+ jumps on the rig and no cutaways. Knock on wood. Hope I didn't just jynx myself.

Having a cutaway wont make me quit, puts me back a little bit due to the expense of having my reserve repacked, but if nothing else, it gives me a super confidence boost, and really drills home, that maybe I just might know what Im doing...

[Lastchance 0]

Im actually glad he did quit cuz he gave me a screaming deal on my rig. I wasn't there for any of the cutaways but was told that three of them he probably didn't need to do, but the last one was a very hard opening that broke several lines and blew out one entire cell of the canopy. So I bought it with a complete reline and some repairs but I've never had a problem.

I may be getting old but I got to see all the cool bands.

[mamajumps 0]

Quote

Im actually glad he did quit cuz he gave me a screaming deal on my rig. I wasn't there for any of the cutaways but was told that three of them he probably didn't need to do, but the last one was a very hard opening that broke several lines and blew out one entire cell of the canopy. So I bought it with a complete reline and some repairs but I've never had a problem.

gotta love being in the right place at the right time!

[ssandy 0]

7 happy landings under a Tempo reserve... never had any problems with it. Did you ever test jump your reserve?